Day 1
Arrive SIEMREAP

Upon arrival in SiemReap, you will be met by your guide, who will transfer you to your hotel. The remainder of your day is at leisure.

Siem Reap is the base for exploring the fabled temples of Angkor, the ancient capital of the Khmer empire. Over 100 temples are spread over a vast area and the site easily lives up to its status as one of the seven wonders of the forgotten world.

Day 2
SIEMREAP; Angkor Temples with “tuk tuk”

Having met with your guide, you will be able to discuss in detail what you are looking to achieve from your time at the temples. Whilst some wish to explore as many temples as they can during their stay, others like to travel at a slower, more relaxed pace.

Temples in focus in a day:

Angkor Wat – certainly the most famous of all the Angkor temples and, some would argue the most impressive. The temple, built in the early 12th century by King Suryavarman II contains three storeys of libraries, galleries and towers surrounded by a thick retaining wall and an imposing moat. Many visitors aim to visit the temple at sunrise to capture one of the most iconic Angkor photos.

Ta Prohm - a temple left in much the same condition as when it was found - creating one of the most photogenic and atmospheric temples of the entire Angkor site. The tree roots of enormous fig trees and gigantic creepers can be seen breaking through the walls and stone carvings. Any visit is truly an adventure.

The Bayon - built in the 13th century as the state temple of King Jayavarman VII, standing at the centre of his capital - Angkor Thom. The Bayon’s most distinctive feature is the multitude of huge faces carved into large towers which rise up to form the central peak. The Bayon sits at the exact centre of Angkor Thom and roads lead to it from each of the city's cardinal points.

Banteay Srei - one of the most unusual and widely recognisable temples of Angkor. Built largely of red sandstone, it is covered with elaborate and deeply carved decoration. All the buildings are miniature in scale and it is this, along with the beautiful carvings, that have made it such a popular temple.

Day 3
SIEMREAP; Village explorer

Today provides the perfect opportunity to gain a better understanding of Cambodian rural life, along with an insight into traditional Khmer culture; something which few visitors are lucky enough to experience. Departing after breakfast accompanied by your guide, you’ll spend the day travelling through a number of relatively un-touched villages and learning about the day-to-day lives of the local people. This is a world away from Siem Reap, and provides you with the perfect opportunity to get ‘off the beaten track’.

Your first stop is the village of Krabei Real, where there is time to explore the local market and to purchase some supplies for your lunch. Continue on, this time without the benefit of air-conditioning, using a more typical method of transportation for this region. The (almost!) pollution free ox and cart is still widely used throughout Cambodia, and allows you to travel at a gentle, almost hypnotic pace along the narrow, sandy, village roads. Winding your way through the rice fields, you’ll pass houses, schools and pagodas. Many of the families in this area are skilled rattan weavers, using techniques passed down through the generations to create a wide variety of crafts and day-to-day items to sell in the markets of the nearby towns.

After around an hour, arrive at the home of a local family who have been carefully. Having been welcomed by your hosts, there will be plenty of time to relax and chat with the family as they prepare lunch using the produce selected at the market (with your guide acting as interpreter). If you wish to assist then you are very welcome to do so, and this is also a fantastic opportunity to further your understanding of typical Khmer cuisine. This is likely to be very different from the dishes you may have sampled in the more westerner-orientated restaurants of Siem Reap and Phnom Penh!

Having enjoyed your lunch, there is plenty of time to relax and explore the village before returning to Siem Reap. En route, stop to visit the workshops of the Artisans d’Angkor, and explore Siem Reap’s market before arriving back at your hotel. The remainder of your day is at leisure.

Day 4
SIEMREAP, PHNOMPENH

Breakfast at hotel. Transfer to Siem Reap airport for morning flight to Phnom Penh ... Arrive and meet our person to tour the highlights which including the National Museum displaying a collection of pre-Angkorian and Angkorian sculptures, the Royal Palace with the Silver Pagoda, and then Vat Phnom, the namesake of the capital city of Cambodia. Lunch at the local restaurant. Check in hotel and the remainder is to stroll the city on your own.

Day 6
CAN THO, SAIGON

After breakfast, board a sampan to visit Cai Rang floating market, a family run noodle – making factory and witness the rural life and the beautiful vegetation along the riverbanks. Discover Can Tho’s market and take the transportation to Saigon.

Day 7
Saigon, Cu chi tunnel & city highlights

Leave the hotel in the morning, we drive to visit the famous Cu Chi Tunnels. Set at Cu Chi Tunnels, watch a brief but informative documentary before following your guide underground. Created by the Vietnamese resistance during their long struggle for independence, the tunnels are an astonishing network over 250km in length, up to three levels deep in some places, and often dug by hand. Construction begun in the 1940s and continued for 25 years, extending right up to the Cambodian border. The tunnels let the Viet Cong control a large rural area around Ho Chi Minh City, which played a huge part in the eventual victory, and in some places even housed entire villages to protect them from American bombing. Today, some of the remaining tunnels have been opened to the public, offering an insight into what underground life - and subterranean battle - must have been like in this tenacious achievement. Finish the visit and we head back the city for lunch.

Afternoon, tour some of Ho Chi Minh City’s highlights. Your guide will be happy to personalise your programme, but we particularly recommend certain sites; the Reunification Palace, formerly South Vietnam's Presidential Palace, was built in the 1960s and remains largely untouched since the day Saigon finally fell to North Vietnamese troops in 1975; War Remnants Museum, formally known as the Museum of American War Crimes is high on the list, and although it can be quite a chilling experience, the various exhibitions offer an insight into the suffering of the Vietnamese people during recent conflicts…….Others offer visitors a sense of the region’s French Colonial past; Notre Dame Basilica was built in the late 1800s, and the pink neoclassic confection that is Saigon Central Post Office was designed by Gustave Eiffel himself.

Day 8
SAIGON, DANANG, HOIAN

Free at leisure till the flight to Danang. On arrival, pick up and transfer to Hoian, on the way stop to visit the Cham Museum and Marble Mountain then continue to the riverside town of Hoi An, which was an important trading port during the 17th & 18th centuries and which, nowadays, is officially listed as a World Heritage site.

Day 9
Countryside bike and walking tour to explore HOIAN town

Spend ½ day leisurely cycling though the scenic countryside of Vietnam, far from the traffic the motor scooters, and the noises the city. You will cross the islands on the Song Thu river delta using local transportation, including ferries and floating bridge . This tour will take you to discover how wooden river boats are made, learn the secret of weaving the colorful straw “Hoi An” sleeping mats Try the renowned Vietnamese basket boats . You will spend the day with first-hand contact with one of the rural inhabitant of the region, far from the usual tourist circuits. At lunchtime you will be invited into the home of a local Vietnamese family for a traditional Vietnamese meal, and learn their customs and traditions. After a while break, we will ride back the town which takes us by an hour. ……….

Afternoon, we discover the history the town on walk, it’s oozing with charm and having largely escaped the destruction of successive wars, Hoi An is lined with streets and architecture that are a delight to explore. As a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Ancient Town is packed with buildings of historical and cultural significance, and boasts a number of streets that are off-limits to cars. Stroll past the many Chinese assembly halls, from the Cantonese Chinese Congregation with its impressive main altar, to the Hainan Chinese Congregation. Stop by the Japanese Covered Bridge, which was constructed in the 1590s by the town’s Japanese community to link them with the Chinese quarters across the stream.

Day 10
HOIAN, HUE

After breakfast, transfer to Hue via the Hai Van Pass and through the picturesque fishing village of Lang Co. We arrive Hue and check in hotel.

Hue remained Vietnam’s capital until 1945, when Bao Dai, the last of the Nguyen emperors, abdicated. Many of Hue’s attractions are found along the banks of the Perfume River that flows through the centre of town. The cuisine is Hue is spicy hot, with lots of chilli. Reflecting its Imperial roots, it is often served in beautifully presented, taster portions, a kind of oriental nouvelle cuisine!

Afternoon, we embark on your private cyclo ride around Hue! Start your leisurely cyclo tour with a visit to Tinh Tam Lake, one of the most famous spots in this ancient capital of Vietnam. Situated on the left bank of Dinh Tien Hoang Road, the beautiful lake is considered an iconic achievement of 19th-century landscape architecture. Your guide will discuss its stunning design features before heading to Hue Citadel. Once the seat of the Nguyen dynasty, this UNESCO World Heritage Site contains the former Imperial Palace. Tombs, hallways and ornate temples comprise Hue Citadel and highlight Hue’s regal history. Pass through the high stone walls of this royal city and ride to several major landmarks within the complex.

We get out and drive to visit the towering Thien Mu Pagoda, one of the most famous Vietnamese landmarks. Differing legends explain how the pagoda came to be - one tells of an old woman who instructed Lord Hoang Nguyen in 1601 to walk contemplatively along the river with a lit incense stick and to build a city at the spot where the incense stopped burning. Turn our route, we get to the Minh Mang Royal Tomb, is the final resting place of one of the Nguyen Dynasty’s staunchest Confucians, whose reign represents the apex of Nguyen power over the country. Our next stop is at the Garden house which offers an excellent opportunity to relax and enjoy traditional Vietnamese hospitality in the surrounds of a fully-working and functioning replica of a 19th century Hue residence. The house itself is set in charming gardens, complete with lotus ponds and pavilions. Like many of Hue's homes, the structure is built on high foundations with low, dipping roofs due to the historical problem of flooding in the area. Dinner served at the house and drive back hotel in the late evening.

Day 11
HUE, HANOI

Breakfast at the hotel, free at leisure till the flight to Hanoi. Pick up upon arrival and transfer to hotel.

Hanoi, Vietnam's capital, ranks amongst the world's most attractive and interesting cities. It was first the capital of Vietnam in A.D. 1010, and though the nation's capital moved to Hue under the Nguyen dynasty in 1802, the city continued to flourish after the French took control in 1888. In 1954, after the French departed, Hanoi was declared Vietnam's capital once again. The remnants of over 1,000 years of history are still visible here, with that of the past few hundred years wonderfully preserved.

Afternoon, we explore the city highlights in which we have the Temple of Literature – known as the country’s first national university; the macabre Hoa Lo Prison. The French built this prison near the turn of the century, with construction completed in 1901. The name Hoa Lo, means "portable earthen stove," and originates from the families who used to live on the land before the French built on it; Vietnam Women’s Museum – which is focused on the contribution of women to Vietnam's history and culture, this museum highlights their roles in Vietnam's many military conflicts as well as in commerce, including features on female street vendors, women's role in the family, and more recently, single mothers in Vietnam. End of the day, we walk through the Old Quarter, delving into the nooks and crannies of the city and bringing us to a restored original Old Quarter homes.

Day 12
HANOI, HALONG

After an early breakfast it’s a three hour drive from the city to Halong Bay, passing through a number of typical North Vietnamese towns and villages. Upon arrival you will be welcomed aboard your traditional junk; the same style that have sailed the bay for 100’s of years.

A natural wonder of the world and one of Vietnam’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites, the creation of Halong Bay is shrouded in myth. Local legend tells us how the gods sent a family of dragons to defend the country from the invading Chinese. The dragons spat out gemstones that turned into islands, linking together to create a wall against the enemy. The truth is almost as evocative as the legend and upon setting out into the bay you are met by one of the most beguiling natural scenes you will ever witness.

Lunch is served as you depart port. You will soon leave the mainland far behind, navigating amongst the jagged limestone islands and karsts emerging from the emerald waters. Whilst some islands are no more than large rocks others are far more substantial in size.

During your cruise there will be opportunities to disembark, often using smaller boats, or possibly kayaks, to venture into hidden grottos and caves. You will also make stops to explore points of interest such as floating fishing villages and picturesque lookout points.

Day 13
HALONG, HANOI

In the early morning many of the islands are alive with the sound of various sea birds nesting in the thick green vegetation that engulf the limestone karsts. Early risers may wish to start the day with a Tai Chi class on the top deck as the sun rises over the bay. Enjoy brunch on board whilst your junk slowly turns back in the direction of the mainland, passing points of interest such as Sung Sot Cave. ……Arrive back in port in the late morning. Disembark and transfer to Hanoi for another night.

Policies

Inclusions

•All admission fees at attractions, temples and activities as mentioned in the itinerary

•Boat trip wherever it has

•All meals listed

•Government tax

Exclusions

•Visas

•International arrival & departure flight ticket and airport tax

•Domestic flight within Cambodia/Vietnam (on request)

•Any meals not listed in the itinerary

•Drinks, other than water on activity days

•Personal expenses (laundry, telephone, drinks, tips…)

•Camera fee (if any)

•Peak-season surcharge & compulsory meals to be advised at the time of booking

•Travel insurance & other services not listed in “inclusive”

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